Can You Hear My Screams?
by IConstantlyThankGod4Fandoms
Summary: AU-Perseus Jackson never had the normal childhood. His mother just wants to fix that. So, they move to San Francisco, where Percy goes to Goode High and meets a mysterious blond who's a tough nut to crack.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Okay, so before I start the story, I'd like to thank everyone who gave me advice for my little issue. All of the reviews and PMs I had gotten almost made me cry. It was nice to know that you guys seriously supported me. Secondly, this story is kind of a rewrite from an older story of mine called **_**Secretive **_**which was from a different fandom. I decided to rewrite it because, well, the older version was way too cliché and I used to have horrid grammar. Heh. I tweaked the plot a bit, too. Anyway, enjoy this. If it gets crappy, tell me.**

* * *

><p><em>PROLOGUE<em>

* * *

><p><em><span><strong>PERCY<strong>_

* * *

><p>Percy's life was anything but normal.<p>

He wasn't one of the richest kids in the world. He had been abused. He had no brains at all. Nobody liked Percy, which Percy was fine with, especially since he didn't really want anyone to know about his dark past. The only person he actually had was his mother, who could barely manage to take care of him. Percy held on tight to his mother because, well, she was the only person who truly knew him. Who knew every little thing about him. Truth to be told, Percy wasn't afraid to admit he was a Mama's Boy.

Percy had a shady past. His mother met a jerk with a horrid odor who became his stepfather. His real father walked out on the pregnancy, causing Percy and his mother to lose some cash. His stepfather was never an actual father, though. (Hence the nickname "Smelly Gabe.") But Percy never got to have the childhood other children had. No, he never got to throw the ball around. Percy never got to play with action figures and such. No, the only good thing about his childhood was his mother's cooking. And boy, he sure did love her homemade blue cookies. It was a silly little joke from when Percy was much younger, but being the child he was, he took blue food quite seriously.

But Percy couldn't trust anyone. He had serious trust issues. When someone was very important to him—like his mother, for instance—he was actually quite loyal. But making friends took time. Percy had to meet the correct people. The people who would never give away secrets as dark as Percy's.

Of course, no one was actually like that. Everybody told a secret every now and then. The generation was all talk, no trust. Percy had zero friends.

Well, Sally, Percy's mother, noticed this.

She knew Percy wasn't like other kids. Sally only wanted the best for her son; he was the one who kept her smiling. He was her only family. He was her one and only child, and she had to take a good job taking care of him. Sally knew she had to help him out a little.

And that was the reason Percy was now on an airplane, completely freaking out and ready to puke.

His mother decided he needed a change of scenery, so they were off to San Francisco to start off their new lives. Percy would be attending Goode High, where he'd "make friends" and other bullshit. As much as Percy loved his mother, he didn't want to do this. Percy just wasn't ready for such a big change. He was just so used to being alone that having friends was a complete nightmare. Percy also didn't want to be on the plane. He just felt so uneasy in the airplane. Like it wasn't his place to be in the sky.

Sally frowned at Percy, who looked as green as his eyes.

"Percy, are you… Are you feeling all right?" she asked, her tone nice and gentle.

Percy shook it off. If he could take a beating, then he could most definitely take a little ride in the air. "Yeah, yeah… Mom, I'm perfectly fine," he replied, not meeting her eyes.

Sally sighed. No one said that they were fine unless they were silently pleading for help. She looked at him, and he looked right back. "I know you aren't. This—moving to a different state—is big! Of course you'll feel nervous, Percy. You're moving on from your old life, and I understand that's hard. But you've gotta listen, this is for the better."

Percy closed his eyes for a moment. "Mom, this isn't about moving away from that crappy apartment. I'm a teenager. I have to face high school. And as ridiculous as that sounds, high school is pretty damn scary—especially when you've got trust issues."

She reached for his hand, giving him a smile. "You feel like you won't belong. High school is all about the 'cliques' or whatever. No, Percy, it really is not. It's about realizing that everybody's different." Percy smiled at her lecture. She had a way with words. Percy understood her dream of becoming a writer. Sally's eyes sparkled. "And plus! It's fun to meet new people! Who knows? You can make friends with _other_ people who feel like they don't belong. You can help each other out."

Percy's smile disappeared. "But, Mom, they haven't gone through things like me. Goode High is a place for teenagers with all those fancy gadgets—crap like Apple products and clothing and whatnot. Those kids don't have to worry about fitting in because they don't have the past that I do."

Sally's frown returned. Percy always looked at the glass as half-empty, not half-full. "Percy, we're all human. We all hit our depressing points."

Percy scoffed. "My whole life has been a pile of depressing shit! I mean, going through a breakup isn't the equivalent to being abused every fucking day!"

Sally looked away. Although her son was quite the potty-mouth, they had bigger problems to face. "Well, it is when you truly loved that person."

Percy calmed down a bit. Sally never got over the little incident with his father. He remained silent, looking out the window and ignoring the whole conversation. Sally's hand was still on his. She made circles on the back off of his palm with her thumb.

"You know," she said softly, "maybe you'll find a loved one someday."

Percy remained silent, but Sally continued.

"Sometimes I wonder about your romantic life, you know. I made a good son. And it doesn't include the looks, but you don't look so bad. I bet girls would be falling for you at Goode High…" She smiled as if she were stuck in a daydream.

"Yeah, right," he mumbled. "Because those sluts are just _dying_ to get their hands on depressed guys."

"Hey," Sally said, her tone edgy. She nudged him softly on the arm with her elbow. Percy could use words like "cunt" and "fuck" but she'd never allow the word "slut" to be used.

Percy snickered at this. He kept his eyes on the sky, focusing on the colors. The sky was a brilliant blue, and the clouds were a puffy white. Few birds soared through the sky, enjoying the large amount of space up there. The peaceful sight made Percy fall asleep for the next few hours.

_Rule number #1: Do NOT fall in love if you wanna get more depressed,_ Percy thought as he drifted off into his sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Oooo-kay then. My main focus on this story is to create some character development, which means this story is going to be quite lengthy. I'm not too good with taking it slow in my writing, but that's why I'm here to work on it. Anyway, good-bye!**


	2. A Girl Could Dream

_A Girl Could Dream_

* * *

><p><em><span><strong>ANNABETH<strong>_

* * *

><p>Annabeth was in the bathroom, her stomach torturing her. As much as she wanted to eat, she just couldn't. Annabeth wouldn't allow it. She was sitting on the toilet, hesitating in fear. Why couldn't she just step on the weight scale? Annabeth was just too afraid to see how much she weighed.<p>

Shakily standing up, Annabeth looked at the weight scale. She stepped onto it, her eyes closed. _Not quite… Just not now…_ she thought, tempted to peak. For a few seconds, she just stood there, timid. But she had to look at some point. Annabeth couldn't waste her time on the scale. So, she opened up her eyes.

_108 pounds._

She blinked, keeping the number locked up into her mind. She was skinny for her age, which was seventeen. Last week, she was 113 pounds. Five pounds were gone in the last week. That was good. If you could call suffering good. But Annabeth didn't know if her weight loss was good or bad. Didn't she _want_ to lose the weight? Well, yes. But then again, she was suffering really hard just because of a couple bitchy girls. Why did Annabeth have to listen to them and be an idiot? She was _starving._

Her hand went onto her stomach—right below her breast. She felt her ribs, making her shudder. She was all bones, no skin. This was the price she was paying.

But all of the suffering was for nothing. No matter how skinny and hungry she got, those girls never listened. They'd look at her, laugh a little, then call her names. Annabeth _hated_ it. All they wanted to do was hurt her, and all she wanted to do was please them.

After a little while, the bullying got so bad that Annabeth began to believe those girls. She believed every single word they said. Annabeth hated herself for that. She hated everything. They bullied her for a reason. They couldn't just laugh with a made-up insult.

"HEY! OPEN UP! I REALLY HAVE TO PEE!" a voice yelled, making Annabeth scream a little. She rolled her eyes. It was her brother, Bobby. If he'd just drink a little less juice, then maybe she would have the bathroom all to herself. With a sigh, she unlocked the bathroom door and opened it up.

Her little brother was clutching onto his groin, his expression pained. "Finally! Why are you wasting your time in there every single day?" he whined.

Annabeth narrowed her eyes at him. "Bobby, do you want to pee or not? Because I can just shut the door in your face and stay in the bathroom another fifteen minutes."

His eyes widened. He pushed Annabeth out of the way, slamming the door in her face. She sighed, about to go to her room. Then, a voice interrupted her journey to her room.

"Annabeth, dear?" her stepmother said. Annabeth scowled, turning around. Just because she used "dear" when calling Annabeth's name, it didn't mean that her stepmother actually liked her. "New neighbors are coming over. They're from New York. I suggest that you use your manners around them, hmm?"

Annabeth rose an eyebrow. "New neighbors? As in we've never met them before?" She laughed, no humor intended. "They could be murderers fleeing the state for all we know!"

Her stepmother crossed her arms. "This is the exact reason I'm telling you to use your manners. Besides, they don't seem dangerous. Just a single mother and a son about your age. They're obviously not a threat."

"Are single mothers not dangerous to you? Damn, that's really sexist of you, you know." Annabeth had a harsh smirk on her face now.

"Language, Annabeth!" her stepmother scolded. "There are children in this house! God, I thought you'd know better, Annabeth. Go to your room and clean up for dinner!"

Annabeth clenched her fists. "I was going to my room anyway!" she yelled. Annabeth walked over to her room, slamming the door very loudly so everyone in the whole entire house could hear. She sighed, jumping onto her bed. She looked out the window to see a boy about her age sitting on the porch. His hair was a messy black, and his eyes—Annabeth didn't know what color the boy's eyes were. She couldn't quite tell from her room. The boy looked at her, his face turning red. Annabeth immediately quit looking at him, blushing really hard. She couldn't help it. Everybody had a little puppy crush every once in a while, right?

Annabeth's eyes widened with realization.

Oh.

So _he_ was her new neighbor.

Annabeth had no problem with that _at all_. She just silently prayed that he wasn't some psycho murderer.

Still red in the face, Annabeth looked in the mirror, hoping she looked okay. She ran a hand through her hair, looking at herself. Annabeth doubted he'd be into her. With her scrawny body and dull eyes… But a girl could dream, right?

Annabeth looked out the window once again, only to see that the boy was gone. She sighed, knowing her chances with him were totally hopeless.

Suddenly, the door to her room opened, causing Annabeth to scream loudly, jump back, and crash into her desk. Painfully, she got up, glaring at the people who startled her.

"Bobby! Matthew! Learn how to knock!" she yelled, looking at her desk. Most of the objects on her desk fell off, and her mug was broken.

The twins stared at her, a little scared at her anger. "DON'T YELL AT YOUR BROTHERS!" Annabeth's stepmother screamed from the kitchen. Annabeth groaned, her fists clenched.

"What do you want?" she muttered.

"Uh…" Bobby managed.

Matthew sighed. "Just wanted you to know that Dad's gonna be home a little later. And that the neighbors are gonna be here soon."

Great, Annabeth thought. I have to survive one crush, a single mother, a stupid stepmother, and two little brothers.

"Okay," Annabeth mumbled, beginning to clean up the mess. Matthew walked towards her.

"You need help?" he said in a calm tone.

_Yes._ "No. I don't. Go play or something," Annabeth said.

They ran off as Annabeth cleaned up the floor. She picked up books and papers, setting them on the table. She stared at the sharp, broken glass from the mug, tempted to hurt herself. Instead, Annabeth got out of her room, trying to find a broom and dustpan.

* * *

><p>Right after cleaning up the mess, the doorbell rang. Everybody nervously scrambled around, rushing through the house. Annabeth was told to go get the door, so she ran to the entrance, feeling jittery. Oh, god, <em>he<em> was coming over. Annabeth was probably blushing hard.

She opened up the door, catching her breath. She ran towards the door pretty quickly. There stood two people. One was a petite woman with blue eyes and brown hair, and she held a tray of food. Oddly, it was blue. Next to her must've been her son. He had that messy black hair, and Annabeth finally saw his eyes. A brilliant shade of sea green.

"Hi!" Annabeth greeted, silently praying she wasn't blushing.

"Hi," the woman replied, smiling. She nudged her son a bit, gesturing for him to speak.

"Hey," he mumbled, his voice quite deep. The boy was red. Which probably meant that Annabeth was too.

"I'm Sally Jackson, and this is my son, Perseus," the woman said.

"I-it's Percy…" her son stuttered. Okay, so obviously he wasn't too good with speaking. That made Annabeth feel a little better.

"I'm Annabeth Chase. Uh, come in," she said, moving out of the way so they could enter the house. For a moment, she and Percy locked eyes. But Percy walked off, breaking the awkward tension. Annabeth cleared her throat awkwardly, closing the door.

* * *

><p>"So!" Annabeth's stepmother said in a perky voice, causing Annabeth to roll her eyes. Luckily, she didn't see that. "New York? How interesting. It has real good architecture. Annabeth, you like architecture, right? Maybe Percy could talk to you about it, hmm? That'd be nice!" she said, setting the table.<p>

"Surprised you noticed my interests," Annabeth muttered, receiving a glare from her stepmother.

Sally acted like she didn't see the little scene. She faked a smile. "That _would_ be nice, right, Percy? You two should hang out and talk!"

Percy looked like he was trying to control himself from completely freaking out. "I've never exactly noticed the architecture in New York. Guess it's because I've lived there for so long, I just got used to it and never examined the buildings and stuff," he replied, not meeting Annabeth's eyes.

"Oh, there's always much more to talk about," Annabeth's stepmother said, as if she totally knew all about Annabeth's little crush. "After dinner you could walk around the neighborhood, if that's okay with Sally."

"It's perfectly fine! We'll make dinner quick if you want," Sally tossed in.

Annabeth and Percy looked at each other, reading each others' expressions.

While Percy had the "do they expect us to have sex" look, Annabeth had the "they're desperate for us to make friends" look.

"Yeah, okay, I guess," Percy said. Sally quickly smiled.

"Let's eat dinner, shall we?" Annabeth's stepmother said, putting bowls of food on the table.

* * *

><p>Dinner was complete crap. Annabeth didn't touch the food, and the night was filled with awkward conversations and Percy and Annabeth talked to each other using their faces. At one point, Annabeth choked on her spit because of Percy's expression.<p>

When dinner was over, everybody felt relief running through their veins. The night was just too awkward. Annabeth's stepmother trying to throw in interesting facts about their family didn't help at all. Annabeth was tempted to hide under the table and just stay there.

Percy and Annabeth were finally let out of the house, so they walked around the neighborhood. At first it was silent, but then Annabeth broke the silence by sighing.

"Sorry about my family," she said. "They usually… aren't like that."

Percy chuckled. "Yeah, my mom doesn't usually act like that either. She's a little less smiley."

"Same with my stepmother."

"So… Architecture, huh? That's different."

"Oh, uh, yeah. I guess so. I don't know… My biological mother was—or is, take your pick—an architect. I mean, I don't wanna follow my mother's footsteps or crap like that. I could care less about her, to be honest. Anyway, I guess I just wanna make something everyone will remember."

"That's pretty cool. I don't know what I'm gonna to with my life. It's good that you're ready and you know what you want."

"Know what I want? Yes. Ready? Most definitely not."

"And why is that?"

"You can't know all of my secrets that quickly, Jackson. Maybe one day, but not now. You'll just have to figure it out yourself."

"Oh. Eh, same with me, I guess. Just gotta wait for my sob story."

"God, if only life could be simpler. Life's a war I didn't want to fight in."

"That's pretty deep, Wise Girl."

Annabeth rose an eyebrow. "Wise Girl?"

"Don't friends give each other nicknames?" Annabeth seemed to stop breathing. God,_ friend. _The word just seemed so alien to her, but she tried to hide it.

"Okay… Wise Girl… Hmm… That's not really clever, Seaweed Brain."

"Seaweed Brain? God, I already know I'm stupid. Now I have a nickname that comes from my stupidity!"

Annabeth couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, I guess so."

"I… I think I'll be going now. I kind of get tired easily. Er, see you, I guess."

As Percy walked towards his home, Annabeth smiled and yelled, "Night, Seaweed Brain!"

"You too, Wise Girl!" he yelled.

When Annabeth entered her house, she immediately smiled, her heart fluttering.

_Friend… I have a friend,_ she thought, closing her eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm trying my best not to rush this, okay? Tell me if I need to slow down. And I hope Annabeth's anorexia doesn't offend anyone, it's just apart of the story. Annabeth calling herself an idiot for believing the bullies are HER thoughts and HER opinion, not an official fact. Also, PLEASE REVIEW! Words from readers motivate me to continue writing. Also, constructive criticism is totally allowed! It helps me as a writer. Mkay, bye!**


End file.
